1388: From Digging Holes to Designing Elite Backyards: How to Create Backyard Magic with Landscape Design Guru Steve Griggs

Robert Plank 0:01 He started with just a wheelbarrow, and now he's designing elite landscapes for multi million dollar estates. It's Mr. Steve Griggs here on the show. He blends engineering precision with creative flair, earning features in Forbes and appearances on Bravo and Grant Cardone power players. And Mr. Steve Griggs is the go to for property owners who want more than just curb appeal. We're here on the marketer of the day Podcast. I'm Robert Plank. We're powered by D FY podcast.com where we remove the tech barriers so you can focus on real conversations. And we're going to talk today about backyard envy, about 40 years of pushing creative boundaries and about perhaps Steve's process. Because sometimes people say, I don't know what I want, but I want it to be amazing. And Steve jumpson works his magic. He performs miracles, and he's all about designing for the 1% including privacy, peace, more than just esthetics and so much more. So Mr. Steve, I'm so excited to jump in and find out all about you. How the heck are you?

Steve Griggs 1:03 What's up? Ron, I'm good, glad to be here. Man, ready to dive in to be marketing. What is it? Marketer for the day,

Robert Plank 1:09 marketer of the day. But marketer, yeah,

Steve Griggs 1:13 so today I am marketer of the day. I like that.

Robert Plank 1:16 Yeah, you're, it's like, it's your birthday, right? You're the hero. You're the guest of honor. And so

Steve Griggs 1:22 wear a lot of hats, man, lot of hats

Robert Plank 1:24 We all do. And so speaking of that, what's your focus? What are you all about? What should people know about you?

Steve Griggs 1:29 So, so we, I started whatever, you know, we have the same story. Grew up in a regular home, started out on business. We can get into that whole, you know, mindset about being in business, it's very lonely. It's, you know, it's not easy, because, like you said earlier, before we got on, if it was easy, everybody would do it, right? So we, just after 40 years of doing this, I learned the secret sauce. Brother, the secret sauce to marketing. Believe it or not, it's not what you think. I'm, og I'm old school. So if you can go back old school, we're going to give it to you straight old school, New York style, right? So, yeah. So we design outdoor living spaces for celebrities, athletes, high net worth, individuals, demanding clients in the toughest market, I think, in America, which is New York, they want it fast. They want it quick. They want it cheap. They want it all the above, right? So here we are. Man, whatever I can do to help you listen is I'm here.

Robert Plank 2:30 Well, for starters, as far as helping us, you said there's this secret of marketing. So what is

Steve Griggs 2:34 it so? So I like to call it client relations marketing, right? Where your word is your bond, right? Where you say what you're going to do, you do what you say you're going to do, and you get it done with no excuses. That's really the secret sauce, right? So when you're in that high net worth people, they like to mingle, as you heard before, with other high net worth people, right? So for me, I'd rather spend $300 on giving them a plant that died, that's not under warranty anymore than to run $300 worth of Facebook ads chasing new clients, right? So that serves me well, because now if I went the extra mile, now I feel like at least they owe me something. They owe me a referral. They owe me something because I did something for them, right? That's really what it is. I'd rather spend money on that than waste it on on ads, personally, like we do some ads, but I think that's the biggest bang for the buck is when you can really touch people's hearts in their homes. And nothing, you know it is nothing's better than a great referral. Most, 95% of my business is referrals, for sure.

Robert Plank 3:41 Well, we need to tap into some of that energy and some of that work ethic and say, I do such a good job and I'm so reliable and great at what I do that those other high net worth individuals talk to their friends when they're showing off. They're keeping up with the Joneses and Mr. Steve Griggs, name comes up. And so how did you get to where you are at now? Because not everyone has achieved your level of success and stature. So what happened?

Steve Griggs 4:07 So it just, you know, man, just one step at a time, right? I must have done 1000s of landscape jobs, 1000s right, over 40 years, right? And everybody always asked me, How do you get the big jobs, right? The big jobs aren't always better. They're not always more profitable. They take more time, they're more demanding. You just got to start small and just one step at a time. It's really that consistency and that patience, right? And I'm very impatient, because the New York guy, we're not very patient, but that's how it's kind of just evolved over years, right? It just evolved, and here I am, 40 years later, still doing it

Robert Plank 4:44 right, still doing it and loving what you do and doing a great job. And do you think is there anything about your process or your organization that stands out? Are you like a good project manager? You hire great people, use great software, like how. Have you been able to sustain it for 40 years?

Steve Griggs 5:02 So you have a great assistant, Daniela, keeps everything on track. Huge when you're dealing with high net worth people, communication is key. Like you know, you say you're going to show up at eight o'clock on that morning. You show up at eight o'clock in that morning. You say you're going to be done by this day. You get it done. They don't want to hear a bunch of excuses, too many excuses, rain and so you got to fight through it, get through it, deliver that job on time, on budget, and they will definitely lead to more business Absolutely 100%

Robert Plank 5:35 I like it well. I'm definitely not on on your level, especially as a buyer, right? I'm just a humble, little single family homeowner, but like, you know, when you're homeowner, you need a gardener, right? You need someone to go there and mow the lawn. And I've gone through about seven or eight different gardeners, and when you think about the ones that come up with the excuses, right? They show up late. They sometimes don't show up, they break the sprinklers, and that really sticks with you, versus when they're consistent, when they're on time, when they just do like, 10 20% more than what's expected. I mean, that it really stands out for me, right? It's really rare, and it's it's a great way to just live your lifestyle, all right, to have these goals, set these goals, and to to be an amazing individual who's providing a service. And so, I don't know much about television or reality TV. I know there's like a billion shows, right? There's all the HGTV, there's the Bravo, and so my understanding is you were on one of these shows. Is that correct? Yeah, we were the,

Steve Griggs 6:33 the main contractors for the show, right? So the backyard envy people would show up, they would do their stuff, and then they would leave, and then my crew would come in and do the actual work, right? So, so, you know, whatever, we don't get as much glory as them, but the work is the time schedules are very tight, very demanding schedules. You know, there again, there's no excuses, television, there's no excuses. They're going to be back tomorrow morning at 7am you need to be finished, right? So that whole helps, right? That helps the book. Writing a book helps being present on Instagram helps, right? I'm an old guy. I'm not old. I mean, whatever. I'm 65 but, you know, learning the new software and the new Instagram and all that other stuff is all foreign to me, but I think you really need to, like, come up, stay with the times, like you have to you either evolve or you're gonna die, right? That's basically it. And if people don't know you, they're not going to trust you and buy from you. So so that, that's what I learned from grant a lot, is like, become, you know, omnipresent, be everywhere. You know, get your name out there, because if they don't know you, they can't do business with you. So they need to know youfirst,

Robert Plank 7:44 right? 100%

Steve Griggs 7:46 big help. Yeah.

Robert Plank 7:46 And I love Grant Cardone, Uncle G, and I don't know how he does it, right. And when, whenever you come across a guy like Grant, or like you who, who gives, like, deliberate attention to the publicity, do you ever think about, like, the percentage or the pie chart, because it's, it's so tempting, it's so easy to just get stuck in your own business, right? To build yourself a job where 100% of your time is on the work, but then you'd love it where, if you're 100% of the time was on being the figurehead, but the work still has to get done, or at least managed. So what's your thought process on that? Like, what if we're trying to get from one extreme to the other, like, what amount of your time do you allocate, or what's your strategy, as far as growing and getting the press versus doing the work?

Steve Griggs 8:31 So it's a good question, because before I came here, I was on a job site got changed. Came here five o'clock. Boom, here we are, right. So if that was all my job is just to show up on podcasts and be on TV, then it would be easy, right? But no, I also have to run 20 guys and deal with clients and, you know, deal with project managers and designers. So, so it definitely is a juggling act. I get up early and I, you know, but I always you gotta have that time. You don't work, I don't work. 24/7 you shut it down at night, right? You have to prioritize. You become very efficient at what you do, and I become very efficient at project management, right? If you ask me, What's my my niece, I would say project management executing the job. Because anybody can draw a pretty picture. How do you take that picture from a design and execute it, right? That's a trick. That's tricky. You know, you can draw a pretty picture on your computer. Looks great with AI and it looks good. But now you have to price that job, install that job and make money on that job, right? Because the money is the life little event of any business, right? For years, I did free work, free work. Years, we've all been there,

Robert Plank 9:45 right? But at some point you pay your dues and you say, Well, I've done the above and beyond, but now I've got to reconfigure. Right now, I've got to increase my efficiency and So project management, how does that break down for you? Are you all about? Like? The workflows, the people that it's assigned to, the status, like, if someone says, All right, Mr. Steeves, greater, project management, what's the the condensed version of how to do it? Right?

Steve Griggs 10:11 Organization, communication, you know, we deal with a lot of different trades on the job. You know, we have the pool contractor, the irrigation guy, the lighting guys. So basically, I am the so the way, best way I describe it to a homeowner, is, like, pretend you're at a at a concert, and you're the you can see the conductor, right? He's waving the baton. Or if you're a sports guy trying to now, you're the sports guy, you're the general manager. Your Your job is to put the best team on the field. When you're in a band, you're and you're conducting. Your job is to create the symphonies so it all sounds like music. So that's kind of how it should flow. It should be effortless. Effortless. There's going to be problems. It's construction, but you want to try to have everybody working together, keep a good working environment and just, you know, everybody's the one goal is to complete that project, on time, on budget, and keep the client ecstatic, so they refer you to new people. That's pretty much rinse and repeat.

Robert Plank 11:06 I like it well, I love the symphony orchestra analogy because it involves everyone doing different tasks, but all working for the same goal. And kind of like delegating your leadership, and other people can kind of do their part, but then also you're making sure that it's all unified, and it's great to think about in that way. And so you have some some magic that you provide, right? You go in and you say, All right, I want to redo the landscaping. Re you know, reset it up, making completely different. What's that like when someone you go to, like a job site, and there's like, you look at what the before picture is, and you say, Well, what, what needs to change? Like, I'm not even sure how I would approach that, right? Do you you look at like, what their vision is, what your vision is, meet in the middle. Like, how do you even begin to open up start a job?

Steve Griggs 11:57 Good, good question. So, like, if a new client calls me, I go there and I listen, I listen to their needs intuitively, right? I become the project, right? Weird as it sounds. I have to be immersed in the project. I have to be immersed in the client. I need all players involved. I don't want to talk to the husband and then the wife is not there, like it has to be. I've done jobs where the husband's there, the wife's not there, and it becomes very the energy is not good, right? So if everybody's going for the same goal, you get good energy. The family's excited, everybody's excited. It makes it easier for me to create that vision. So my job is to paint the vision for the client, because most of them are, you know, either sports figures or finance people, and it's not their realm, right? And as the expert, your job is to go in there with altitude and let them get the confidence that you're the guy like you don't want to just be. They pay me to think. They don't pay me to dig holes, right? I got so that's what they pay me for, is create the vision and execute on that vision. And you're the guy like, if something goes wrong, they call me on the cell or my project manager, right? But they know that when stuff goes bad, they know who to call. They got to trust you. They got to know Don't forget, I'm going into somebody's home with their family, their dogs, and I'm digging a eight foot hole deep by 40 feet long, and basically putting in a swim and disrupting their whole environment for three, six months at a time. So you have to get very comfortable, and they have to know that you have their back, and it's their home. It's not like some commercial building they live there. So it's very it's a very emotional thing for people, for sure.

Robert Plank 13:40 And I can see the, perhaps the sales overlap in it, right, where you had to have all the decision makers present, and there's, like, a need to kind of explain enough, but not over explain, and get that trust and rapport. Like, there's a lot of those soft skills at play, and so, like, what's something crazy that you've done? Like, I'm sure, with these high net worth people like you talk about the eight foot deep holes and the 40 feet long and, like, I can only imagine the things you've seen, the things you've done. So is there anything noteworthy you think that just, is just amazing crazy? Because, like, we love that stuff, right? The MTV cribs, they love when there's, like, the craziness set up. So what's crazy that's happened in your line of work?

Steve Griggs 14:20 So how to put a pool on top of a mountain. I had to put a pool on top of a building in New York City. I had a wall fall down. I had the pool get flooded with mud like it just doesn't end like so, so you they you have to know, they have to know that you have their back when something goes wrong. Are you the guy to fix it? You can't just throw your hands up and say it wasn't my fault. It was the pool guys. It wasn't, you know, I'm saying you have to take full responsibility and accountability of your job. You cannot point the finger. They didn't hire you to point the finger right. The only finger pointing I do is I tell the guys where to dig the hole, right. Other than that, like you have to be the guy they want to hire the. Guy, not a guy, right? Does that make sense? Yeah, they want to know that. Yeah, they want to know that they hired the best guy for the project. And I've never done I've never asked anyone to do anything. I haven't done myself. That's why I can go in there with such authority, because I've dug holes. I might have to grass cut, I've done it all. So you can't, you can't, you know, you can't. Bs me, right? Like you can't do it because I just done it all. So that's another big advantage, where you actually, you've done the work so you can, you're not just showing on Instagram, you're not showing fancy pictures, you've actually, I've actually done the work, right? So that's also a big plus, and that comes across in a client meeting.

Robert Plank 15:43 And you hear about that, I can't remember if it was, if it was like, like togos or Panera Bread, but there's some restaurant chain where, like, the upper management has to, like work a set number of hours, like in the trenches in there, so that way they know what it's like at the at that lower level, right, where the work actually gets done and so, and there's also something interesting in there about, you know, you get a career, you get a job, you love what you do, but at a certain point you're going to get old and creaky, right? It'll be time to move up. So there's that hope that the transferable skills that you picked up will pay off in a later on long term. And at every step along the way. It seems like you're saying that we should be the solution, right? Don't just make excuses. Don't pass the buck. Don't say, not my problem. Say, Hey, if this thing went wrong, I'm your guy to fix it, right? I'm the guy. And as far as earning trust, right, getting a client's confidence, especially high net worth, what have you learned in that area? As far as you know, trust is easily broken and hard to earn. So, like, what do you have to teach us as far as getting that trust and confidence from people? Um, very simple. Say what you're going to do, when you say you're going to do it, that's, you know, how do you begin? How do you get trust? Your word is your bond. If you say you're going to be there at eight o'clock, you'll be there at eight o'clock. Like, that's it. And so they begin trusting you, right? It starts with that, if the first meeting you're going to be there at eight, you be there at eight. Don't show up late, traffic, like, figure it out. Like, that's step one, right? That's that's starting to build trust. And then as you as, you show them that, and you show them the project, and you show them that you're, you're, you're talking confidently because you've done the work, right? So it's on time, and especially with high net worth people, they don't want to be bamboozled. They that's where they got to, where they are. They don't want to be taken advantage of. They want to be treated fairly. They will pay a premium, but they want that extra service, right? That's it. That's just, you know, that's just, we do all kind of work doesn't have to be there. We do people from basic homes. I've done second family homes, whatever it is, just, you just treat everybody the same, right? It's treating Pete, it's old school. It's treating people the way you want to be treated. I mean, there's, no, I'm not a magician. It's just, you know, treat people the way you want to be treated. Your word is your bond. I mean, I don't know. Like, it's, it's old school, right? I don't know is that kind of makes sense? Like, we need to get back to more of that. And I think every kid, oh my gosh, how many kids I've worked with over the summer, the clients like, Hey, can you put my kid to work for the summer? He needs a little humility, right? So, so absolutely, we bring them on. Every kid should work manual labor for a summer for your life, like not saying, do it forever, but get a taste of what it's really like to get out there. These guys are hard workers. Mad respect for the laborers. I mean, it's hard work when it's hot and it's physical work and you're out there to 90 degree weather, digging holes and all. I think it's good for everybody to get a little dirty, you know, keeps you humble a little bit, right?

Robert Plank 18:42 Oh, yeah, I can respect that hard work and focus and perseverance, and your muscles are so arms are tired, muscles are spent, but you still have to get the job done. I mean, I have massive respect for anyone like that. And so as far as it's great to hear about these kind of universal life lessons that you're discussing, right? Like there's a little bit of a subtext of like, understanding your buyer, right? They've dealt with things, they've gotten to where they are. They want to be spoken to in a normal way, right? They want you to adhere by certain ethics and values and principles. And I know that you have put out some pretty cool stuff, right? You have an Instagram page, you have a book. And so what's that book all about? How can we find out about that?

Steve Griggs 19:25 So, yeah, it's on Amazon. It's called straight dirt, right? We came up with the title because straight dirt News New York's landscaper tells it like it is. So it's just filled with a lot of great pictures we did, and some stories and anecdotes of clients. And it basically talks about, you know, giving it to you straight, right, straight dirt. The publisher came up with that because I think people, especially when they're high net worth, they're used to having a lot of like, yes, people around them. I don't know is that, you know, they just agree with them. Well, me, I will not agree with you if I do not, if I do, if you think. The pool should go over there. I will tell you why it's a bad idea. I'm not afraid to tell you why it's bad and I think they respect that, you know, they want to hear the truth like, that's why they hired you, right, right? That's why they hired you. So people get a little intimidated by that, but I think it's just a I just been doing it so long, and I'm confident because I've done it so long that I can get away with that type of behavior, right? Because I'm just telling them the truth, right? So the truth matters, yeah,

Robert Plank 20:29 and, and it seems like there's a difference between what you're talking about versus maybe being arrogant or being difficult, right? You're not saying like, Oh, just put it over there. You You have logic to it, right? You have all this experience, and you have a case to be made about why the poll should be over there,

Steve Griggs 20:46 yeah, like, I'm not one of those designers where it's like, oh, it has to be my way. No way, listen. I'm gonna listen to you very clearly on your needs and wants. Sometimes they use buzzwords like, oh, I want to feel like I'm on. I'm in Four Seasons Hotel, right? So in my mind, it's like, okay, so you want elegant, contemporary, clean lines. Got it, and then I just take it from there. Oh, I wanted to feel like I'm in a Zen retreat. Okay, great. So then we use different types of grasses that flow in the wind. We use fragrant plants. I'll use butterfly bushes, you know, to attract butterflies. So you want to really listen for those budge words. You really want to be really want to be a good listener to the clients, right? Because when I design something, my job is just to bring their vision to life, basically, without sounding arrogant. It's like some some artists use paint, some artists use granite to sculpt. I use your backyard. That's kind of how I basically create art in your backyard, and you get to live in it and enjoy it where painting on a wall is worth $50,000 let's say you get to stare at it. My jobs. You get to immerse yourself in it, in a pool, in the spa, and you get to enjoy it a lot more than you're staring at a painting, and it does increase values of homes, right? I've read stuff about it where it can increase up a value home up to 20% if it's done properly, right? So there's a lot of there's a lot of financial benefits to creating a beautiful outdoor space, especially since COVID, everybody wants that beautiful sanctuary in the backyard. They respect privacy. They all want nice privacy. They want good quality materials, easy to maintain. They don't want the headaches. Don't want a headache, right? Nobody wants a headache, right, right? Nobody wants a headache. Man who wants a headache? You've got enough headaches,

Robert Plank 22:35 right? Yeah, I got enough by default. I don't need to add more on my own. So it seems like listening as a really underrated skill and something we all should look to cultivate and develop. And we're getting near the end of our conversation, and I want to make sure that we talk about what's important to you, Mr. Steve Griggs, because once your job is done, then you people say that your work is marvelous, magical, outrageously gorgeous. But I want to make sure that we said we cover the bases. And so in this conversation we're having here, Mr. Steve, is there a missing, hidden, invisible question that I should be asking you, I just don't know to ask you,

Steve Griggs 23:14 yeah, this is one I always come up with, like, what is the what's a little tip I can give you, what's a little tip you can tell your client what's a little tip that you can give your listeners for their clients? Very simple, I email them at 4:30am right. Email at 4:30am What are you doing? Steve? Because they see, oh, my God, this guy is emailing me at 4:30am I'm the first person on this mind. He's thinking about me and my project. It served me like crazy. People. That is one tip I would leave your listeners like communication. So they see that at 430 they wake up. Griggs is already thinking about my project like you got to make them number one. Even though you got 10 other projects, nobody wants to hear you got other projects going on when you're at somebody's house working, they are the most important person in the world, right? They only care. Everybody cares about, I don't care about your other project. I only care about my projects. I only care about I want to care. I care about you paying attention to my property. So if I'm hitting you up at 430 in the morning or five whenever I get up nice and early, they're thinking of it. That's, like, that's a lot of people have used that, and it's helped them a lot, actually,

Robert Plank 24:28 yeah, that's marvelous in a number of ways. Like, because there's something to be said about the beginning of the day versus the end of the day, right? Because there's all the studies of, like, the chemicals in your brain, and, like, there's some chemical that when you wake up, you have a lot of it, and the longer you're awake, you reduce it, and as it reduces, you lose decision making. And that's when, like, your mood goes downhill. That's why crimes happen late at night, right? Who wakes up at at six in the morning and commits a murder, right? And and like, even a like judge, if someone likes judges past better set in. Says first thing in the morning, and end of the day they're tired, they just want to go home. So it makes a lot of sense for everyone involved, right? If that client gets that email from you at 10:30pm they're thinking, Oh, great, Steve left me at the bottom of the heat. But if they're getting that at 430 they started their day with you, and they know, man, he's such a hard worker. He's he's right up, or is early up earlier than me. He beat the sun up, and he's already working on my project. So I love that tip the fourth

Steve Griggs 25:25 also, like, never they ask you to do something absolutely, you can get it done. Absolutely, no problem. Like, I don't know. Like, I'll try to get it done. I should be able to make that deadline. You need to use Absolutely. Ma'am, I will get it done for you. No problem. They like that. It gives it gives them a surety that you're going to get the job done that now I may be able to get it done. Nobody wants to hear maybe, right? So, so as for marketer of the day, right? So it goes back to Mark, it's all about marketing. Like you have to do marketing is, there's no business, right? That's why I go to podcasts, right? That's why you do the podcast, right? It's helped a lot. Like people that are new in this, in this business, or any business, like, I didn't have this when we started, there was no internet podcasting. So if you're new in business, and you're and you're just trying to get out there, you know, reach out to guys like Robert and see how we can help you with the marketing. And because it's very important, you have everything is at your fingertips, right? Don't depend on AI solely. You still got to shake hands, kiss babies or whatever you got to do. But the marketing, it all starts with the marketing, right? You have to, you have to do the marketing before the sales. I think marketing precedes sales, right? 100% a big believer that like, if they know you and they see you on the internet and they're on Instagram, they kind of know you a little bit, then the sales becomes very easy.

Robert Plank 26:48 Yeah, you need to get your Omnipresence just like Uncle G, because this is America and it's the land of opportunity, which means that we can make dreams come true. Which means don't say, maybe, don't say, you'll try figure out a way to make it happen, but it also means hard work, right? And it also means getting yourself out there, getting on podcasts. And so speaking of that, right? You're here on a podcast, you have an amazing message, you do amazing work. But then it all has to lead to something, right? It has to lead to someone saying, Man, this guy, Steve Griggs, he sounds like an amazing person. If I'm a high net worth individual in New York. I need to find out what he can do for me. So what are some next steps here? What's the call to action? If people want to find out more about you and your business,

Steve Griggs 27:29 you can go to at Steve Griggs design on Instagram. Stevegriggsdesign.com is the website. You have all the pictures, and there's a contact form in there. My phone number is on I give out my cell phone number on that. I have no problem with that. You know, you got to be transparent, be accessible. Don't hide behind your secretary. You know, be out there. Meet the people. They want to talk to people. People want to talk to people, right? Old school, right? We're back to old school again, right? They want to have that connection. And, you know, I think it's very important. It's kind of like a lost art, actually, right? In a way, you hear that lately, I think we need to get back to more of that, handshakes and meeting people and, you know, doing that kind of stuff. People like to do business with people. Yeah, I people.

Robert Plank 28:17 I agree completely. And like, there's like, you know, we all use the subscriptions and the apps and all kinds of services for our business. But there's a couple of them where, like, there's a monthly service, and I meet with them to get whatever it is figured out, and it like, that's what stands out, right when they they take the time regularly just to make sure I'm I'm making use of that app, making sure I'm making use of that software. And likewise, if someone out there sure that they could try and do it themselves and get all the landscaping figured out. But nothing beats having a guy who's he's seen it, he's done it. He got 40 plus years, and it's Mr. Steve Griggs, and that website is Steve Griggs design.com and that cell phone number you mentioned is 914-879-5602, that's 914-879-5602, and our Instagram, that's Steve Griggs design, we can see your beautiful work with the pools and the outdoor fireplaces and the landscaping the bushes. I don't even know what half of the plants are called by looking at them, and I'm sure you know them inside and out. So you mentioned that you do this amazing work for high net worth individuals. So how does someone know if they fit the profile, what type of person should be contacting you and what for

Steve Griggs 29:32 it Listen. It's just we do range from all kind of people, right? It doesn't have to be we've done little patios and terraces in New York City where they're 10 by 10, right? So you don't have to have a million dollars, have a beautiful backyard, you know? You can use different materials. It just has to be your own space, where you go out in that space and it feels like your own. I can do that with a planted pot from Lowe's couple of planted pots, a little plug in Fountain. It's just becoming that own. Space. It's really designing a space where it fits your lifestyle, so you can go outside and get a little peace in mind and disconnect from the crazy world, right? Like, it's really, some people don't some people don't need a pool, some people don't need crazy right? So it's just a matter of, you know, design, again, it's listening to their needs and designing a space that fits their lifestyle. Boom, there it is.

Robert Plank 30:22 And does someone need to be in the New York City area for this?

Steve Griggs 30:25 No, we've done Sacramento, California, Atlanta, Georgia, Massachusetts. We were able to travel because I have a network of trade partners that can install the job, right? So we vet. It's really like, again, it's the orchestra, right? I'll get the trombone guy from somewhere else, the saxophone player from somewhere. But you have to know what you're looking for in good quality people that know. I can look at somebody's work and know if it's good work or bad work, right? So so we're able to do that. So that has helped us expand the reach a little bit, for sure.

Robert Plank 30:58 I like that. Location independent. Well, you dissolve the objections here, Mr. Steve, you thought of everything. And so that website is Steve Griggs design.com Steve is here to listen to you. He's passionate about his project as if it was his own home. He treats his customers and every project, big or small, with the same dedication. He tells it likes it is. He doesn't cut corners. And so if you're in the situation that Steve's describing, if that outdoor patio space, if it's ugly, if outs outdated, if it's a patch of dirt, if it just doesn't give you peace of mind, if it doesn't suit your lifestyle right now, then contact him. Go to Steve Griggs design.com there's a button you can get a quote. And no matter where you are, if you're in New York City or you're in Sacramento, California, or anywhere in between, then he can get it figured out. He can get that reconfigured setup design. He creates beautiful designs. And that's Steve Griggs design.com that's Griggs with 2g so that's G, R, I, G, G S. Steve Griggs design.com Before I let you go, Mr. Steve, it's time for the scary part of the podcast where I try to put you on the spot. I try to stump you by asking about a fun quote or lesson that has served you in life or in business. So what do you have in mind for a fun quote or lesson for us?

Steve Griggs 32:14 I like what you call me, Mr. Steve.

Robert Plank 32:16 It's a sign of respect and endurance, right?

Steve Griggs 32:19 I think I heard it like, I think, I don't know if it's a quarter, listen, I think people should try to push yourself as far as you can go right, like, whatever your whatever your passion is, right, just try to reach the maximum. Like, I'm not going to retire and go play golf. Like, what's next on the horizon, you always gotta look at, what next? How far can I take this, right? How what's what's the limit? There's no sky's the limit, right? So I think that keeps you young. I think that keeps you energetic. And I think a lot of people fall into the trap of like, I'm just going to retire and sit on the beach. I think that's bad, right? So a lot of people that retire, you see them just kind of like, get old really fast in the rock and shape, but you always got to stay busy, stay passionate. You want, where you want some sort of quote. I don't really have a quote. I basically just get it done. Man, just get it done. That's my motto. Just get it done. Make it happen. Like, I'm relentless, man, I am relentless. That's great. Get it done. Make it happen. Like, just, yeah, like, what else is there? Right, right. Make it happen. And whatever you're doing, just make it happen. Don't sit around and talk about it. Hey, I'm gonna plant just make it happen, even if it's do something, even if it's wrong. How's that for the court? Oh, I like that, yeah. Like, just do something. Don't sit around, even if it's wrong, do it. Your best way you can do it is do it. If it doesn't work out, you make a mistake, you just do it again. That's it. That's the goal.

Robert Plank 33:53 That's a great message. And speaking of that, the big, scary, giant goal on the horizon. What's that for you?

Steve Griggs 33:59 So, um, do brand collaboration seems to be the I like that. I like doing collaborations with other designers, other brand influences. We have a couple of deals going on with some outdoor kitchen people. I like that, right? Because I can talk about the products, because I use them all right? So instead of using them all and not getting any recognition for it, let's use them. I'll talk about your stuff online. Have no problem. I'll talk about your grills. I'll tell you if it's good or bad, your fire pits. What's good? I know which ones are. I know which ones are good, which ones are bad. Don't waste your money on the cheap ones. Like there's all reasons, because the burners are made not from solid brass, from aluminum, and they're going to rust all different little tricks. So that would be a next goal is, like, get some licensing stuff, because I have the experience and I've used it all, and try to build up the Instagram a little bit, because that seems to be where everybody's eyeball go, where the eyeballs are, right? Uncle G taught me. Uncle G taught me that, listen, you like them or hate them. Take what you need from people. People take the good and leave the rest and just move on like that's it.

Robert Plank 35:04 Yep, I'm all about that. Well, at the moment, your Instagram is at 25,000 followers, and we'll see you at 100,000 soon and beyond, especially as you get into this brand collaboration. But in the meantime, if you need to talk to Steve about his thoughtful and exciting landscape since 1985 he had those design built landscapes and outdoor living spaces in New York, they create thoughtful and exciting outdoor living spaces. That's Steve Griggs design.com We'll see you there, and thanks Steve for showing up, stopping by and enthralling us, delighting us, amazing us, giving us this wonderful advice that you have and just making it all worthwhile. So thanks for being here. Thank

Steve Griggs 35:45 you, Rob. Have a great day.

Robert Plank 35:46 All right.